I see a lot of worrisome articles about UCSB housing - shortage and the new building with no windows… Anyone here can share more details? Is the housing scene still bad?
I would NOT worry about the new dorm with few windows. I’ve read about it a bit and to me it looks GREAT. First of all, it offers badly needed housing, and BRAND NEW housing too, with lots of ameneties. Secondly, even though most rooms have no windows, there’s a fake window (like Disney cruises apparently have in cabins) and best of all I believe all or most rooms are SINGLES. Having a your own dorm room with no roommate seems like heaven to me, especially for students not used to sharing a room with another. Privacy and a quiet place to study alone freshman year would be great. If my DD is admitted to UCSB and SIRs there I’d hope she gets that dorm (but I don’t think it will be built by then).
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Speaking as a parent of a 2nd-year Gaucho and freshman applicant, housing is very tight. Demand for university housing is greater than the supply. UCSB houses 40% of continuing students. Most live in Isla Vista. Rents are high and there’s pressure to sign leases early the prior school year. If freshmen meet the deadlines, they should get dorm housing. While it may not be officially guaranteed since covid, housing freshmen is their priority. They’re likely to be in triples, though. Housing was a bigger issue for the 2021-22 term. Right now, I’m hearing of some current students not getting university housing contracts for next year, but space in IV is still available. UCSB is holding spots for incoming students and not offering more contracts until that process is complete. The new dorm won’t be a concern for incoming freshmen. It still needs to be approved by multiple parties, so it won’t be ready anytime soon.
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Not having a window can cause mental health issues. Also, freshmen need community living to interact and make friends, so not don’t really agree that the new building is ideal for freshmen.
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As @ProudSJMomOf2 shared, construction for Munger Hall has not even started.
There is another thread if people want to discuss the pros and cons of this proposed dorm. Proposed Munger Hall Controversy
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I agree community living in a dorm is great for making friends, but having a roommate in your room 3 feet away all the time isn’t ideal. To me, that (the lack of privacy and no ability to be alone to study) can create more “mental health issues” than no window. My DS3 hasn’t opened his curtains in his room in his entire life. 
. But he loves having his own room again (soph now in college). I’m just saying that we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth–and more housing at UCSB, especially coveted single rooms, is a gift to me.
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That’s hilarious. My son is the same.
My issue with the windowless room is the issue of fire safety. I would never put my child in a room without two possible exits. If the fire is blocking his hallway, neither my son/daughter nor the firefighters have a secondary option through accessing a dorm room window. Seems like a qualified architect could adjust the plans for a better and safer solution.
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I don’t see how not having at least one window in bedrooms would meet building codes for window egress requirements. People need to be able to get out in an emergency. Maybe there are internal common areas without windows, but bedrooms will have windows.
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I think it’s the other way around - common areas have windows but not individual rooms.
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This isn’t only about the dorm but does have some info.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/10/30/ucsb-dorm-charlie-munger/
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You’re right!
Looks like there is already a windowless dorm in Michigan – although smaller in scale than what’s being proposed at UCSB.
It’s a shame really. Santa Barbara is known for it’s beautiful location and weather. To not be able to enjoy it from your own room seems cruel.
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It sounds like it’s a grad dorm in Michigan, at least. But, yes—it would be very sad to miss out on those Santa Barbara views, and not to get any fresh air, either.
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I feel like lots of dorms everywhere have crappy views of parking lots or brick walls even when they have windows. and lots of them have windows that can’t be opened. maybe windows are a little over-rated, especially in a place where the weather is good enough to actually be outside most of the time and not just be looking at it.
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I don’t know. I remember being able to open them at UCLA, back when. D20 could open dorm windows at UMass (and got some great views). It’s just a tad claustrophobic without a window—and it’s nice to be able to open even a tiny bit for the fresh air.
Will these dorms have air conditioning? I can’t imagine not having a window. At Cal Poly (similar climate) it get’s extremely hot a few times a year and opening the window and using a box fan are a must.
That is correct.
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My daughter was in a standard, cinderblock dorm. It had a big fire door into the hallway and a built in double desk across the ‘window’ side of the room with small windows on each side. You’d have to be very very skinny to have escaped out those windows, and the dorm was 12+ stories high. I don’t think a fire truck in that town would have a ladder that could go that high.
It was nice to have the window to open because it was HOT in the dorm, and the higher the floor, the hotter the room, but the windows were just little slits and maybe opened 10".
Now the windows in my dorm served a purpose. You could slide the window open and store your beer between the screen and the inner window. There were times it was the perfect40 degrees to chill a beer.
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Don’t know about AC but I did read it will have very good fresh air pumped throughout, better than what code requires.
Not at UCSB.
I went to both UCLA and UCSB. UCSB has several dorms that actually are close to the cliffs/beach/ocean so you do actually get nice views. These are the school owned dorms not the private corporate dorms.
We always kept our window open almost all year for fresh air. Especially during Santa Ana winds. The breeze from the winds was always great. Don’t know about any new dorms but the older dorms do not have air conditioning as you don’t need it because of the ocean breeze.
So not having windows sounds absolutely horrible to me. Even if you never open the window for fresh air, just seeing the sun would be helpful.
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